I posted my very first blog entry in WordPress. Back then, I used to blog only about my personal experiences, treating it more like a journal.
Sometime later, I started my own online business and decided to transform my WordPress.com site into a full-fledged business one.
I found that I couldn’t tweak my website to make it look as unique as possible. Even with the paid upgrades, I can only go so far when it comes to customizing my website regarding themes, layout, and the plugins I could use.
I had to look elsewhere for a good content management system that can offer me more control and freedom on how I want my website to look like.
Before jumping to the five reasons why WordPress sucks for serious entrepreneurs, let’s first look at why WordPress.com works for some people.
First, you don’t need to have any background with HTML or CSS because WordPress has some workable presets.
You get a decent selection of themes, as well as some layouts you can choose from. In other words, everything is done for you already, and you just have to make a few clicks to apply your choices.
Second, is WordPress free? Yes, it is! This is what mainly makes WordPress an excellent startup place for beginner bloggers, apart from the user-friendly navigation.
Rounding up some reviews, though, WordPress doesn't do much if you want to so some serious blogging. Here are the reasons why.
Limitations In Themes And Layouts
Starting out with the preset themes and layouts can be great in the beginning, but over time, you'll want to start customizing your website to make it look as unique as possible. The best way to do this is if your web hosting provider allows you to.
With WordPress, you'll be limited to a few themes, especially if you choose the free option.
For the premium themes, be prepared to shell out at least $30 a year for their Custom Design Upgrade. Still, even if you use the paid service, the modifications are still highly restricted.
One example is when you want to change where your social media icons are placed. WordPress doesn't give you the option to move your icons from the right side of the page to the top part. The modifications you can do depends on the current underlying theme.
Another example is that if you're holding a limited sale, WordPress doesn't let you add a widget.
To enable widgets, WordPress needs to be able to accommodate JavaScript, which is needed to use widgets. Unfortunately, this option isn't available in WordPress.
Paying For The "Extras"
With WordPress, you won't be able to get your own domain name unless you pay $13 a year.
This means you only get the address "yourname.wordpress.com," instead of "yourname.com." No personalized blog name for entrepreneurs here.
Another example is that WordPress requires an annual payment of $20 to get 3GB worth of additional space for your website. If planning to host audio files, you won't be able to unless you make this upgrade.
Hosting videos, on the other hand, requires $60 a year before you can host videos on your WordPress website.
Until then, you can just opt to embed your YouTube or Vimeo videos, but it won't look as professional as when the videos are hosted directly on your WordPress site.
No Third-Party Plugins
WordPress doesn't allow third-party plugins. Plugins are used for a variety of purposes, such as backups, fillable forms, or SEO boosting--an essential element in any online business.
Although you can easily refer to Alex Chris' tutorial on SEO, it'd be more convenient if you could have a handy tool nearby.
WordPress, however, offers this for a pretty hefty price at $3,750 a month.
No E-Mail Hosting
Unlike other web host providers, WordPress doesn't offer e-mail hosting as part of their package.
This means there won't be a "yourname@yourdomain.com" e-mail address. You'll need to look for a third-party e-mail hosting provider to get your personalized email.
This translates to added expenses. Let's look at GoDaddy; 10 emails will cost around $7 a year.
This may not seem a significant amount, but it would've been an unnecessary expense had WordPress offered it as part of a package.
Other web hosting providers, though, can make that offer without including an outrageous price tag.
Websites Are in Danger of Being Shut down Without Notice
Upon looking at the Terms of Service, WordPress has the right to hold or suspend your website without informing you beforehand, and they may do so with or without apparent reason.
This provides a red flag for most people, especially serious entrepreneurs who need to make sure that their websites are up and running 24/7.
WordPress, just like any hosting site, may stumble into accidents and mistakes, and going through the full process of trying to get things right would be stressful and bothersome to busy entrepreneurs.
While WordPress blogs do have their strengths and beneficial features, there is a limit on what you can do to turn your website into what you are hoping for.
If you’re serious about blogging and getting your message across, you’re going to need control and freedom to do what needs to be done.
The limits you will encounter with WordPress.com’s features are synonymous with hitting a brick wall, and you might need to pull out eventually to get more for your brand name.
Part of a business' success is strategically designed website, which is why most serious entrepreneurs make sure their websites are designed well.
If you already went ahead with WordPress and would want to change your web hosting provider later, Neil Patel in his website advises to back up all your database and static files since it's possible to move them to a new domain.
The essential point is, although WordPress.com has handy preset features that save you from tinkering with the technical, you lose control to a certain extent. This, however, depends on what type of blogger you want to be.
If you’re the expressive type of blogger who just wants to post a diary entry, then WordPress.com would be more than efficient.
However, WordPress sucks for serious entrepreneurs who need more control and freedom on their content, as well as how they want their content to be presented.
If you’re with the latter, then you might want to consider self-hosting your WordPress blogs.
Read Also
WordPress.com or self-hosted WordPress? | Startup Hub
Why and How to Get Started with WordPress (If You Haven’t Already)
Product Hunt Collections: Bits & Pieces of Everything Related to Online Entrepreneurship
5 Things Small eCommerce Entrepreneurs can Learn from Tim Ferriss
Lessons for SEO Entrepreneurs From the Clients That Left